The warm weather had gone and bene replaced by rain as the riders left Pau where they had spent the rest day before heading back to the top of Col Du Tourmalet which the race had passed through on Tuesday afternoon.
Seven riders including Team Sky's Juan Antonio Fletcha and Edvald Boasson Hagen, were allowed to break very early and they stayed clear for most of the 174km stage.
With French President Nicholas Sarkozy, a massvie fan of Lance Armstrong, sat with top TDF boss Christian Prudhomme in one of the commissioner's cars that ride along with the tour, the break was down to five minutes with 25km to go.
With ten kilometres to go and Boasson Hagen back in the peleton, Andy Schleck tried to attack, folllowed by Alberto Contador (pictured below). Two kilometres further up the road on a misty afternoon, they had caught up with the leaders and passed them, watched by massive crowds including a number of Brits.
Contador in his yellow jersey, some eight seconds ahead of Schleck in the GC, tried to break with 3.8km to go,. However, white jersey leader Schleck (pictured below) was equal to it and there were words exchanged in what was a thrilling battle of two great riders.
The battle continued with some great riding from Schleck who was marshalled every pedal by the Spaniard.
Both riders were side by side bursting through the mountain top gloom but it was Andy Schleck who just beat Contador over the finish line. on a time of 5hr 3mins and 29 seconds.
Nicholas Roche (Pictured below) came in 3 minutes and 26 seconds down with Lance Armstrong with 4.13 down.
Stage 18 tomorrow is from Salies De Bearn to Bordeaux and is 198km long. You can see the stage live on British Europost and ITV4.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service and Skoda. Credit CNS/Jeff Matthews & Skoda/Xavier Benoir.